If you're a casual DIYer, this quandary has crossed your mind. And it turns out, there's no easy answer; it depends what you need to DIY and how frequently you plan to pull out your tools. The DIY experts at Stack Exchange weigh in on convenience vs. customization when it comes to your tool kit.

Answer: Caveat Emptor

There are a lot of crappy tools out there, many of them sold at rock-bottom prices by distributors that seem reputable. Those tools only make sense if you plan to use them very rarely, if you will use them very gently, and if you can't rent them nearby.

Sponsored

For the tools you use most often, buy the best quality you can find. Working with good tools is a joy; working with crappy tools can be very frustrating.

Don't buy every tool you can imagine using. While "the right tool for the job" makes the job go smoothly, buying all the "right tools" means you'll spend all your time organizing your extensive tool collection.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Buy tools that match the work you like to do. I haven't seen your bed, so I'm not sure how it's put together. It sounds like you plan on only very minor tinkering. With that in mind, I recommend you buy:

Kits sometimes sell on false abundance. That is, you see hundreds of shiny bits and pieces and think, "Everything I could need, wow!". Kits may have duplicates (my socket set has four 10mm sockets!). Kits may have items you'll never use. And low quality may be hiding behind the size of the collection.

Kits often come in a nice case, making it easy to organize and store your tools. Unfortunately, if you need one more bit/socket/attachment/whatever than what comes in the kit, you won't have a good place to put it.

Answer: There is a Time for Kits...

Buying tools one-by-one will grow you a custom tool kit that matches your needs around the home. The trouble is that building your own collection will involve many trips to the store, depending on how you can predict what you will need next.

Advertisement

On the other hand, sometimes a small kit is a good purchase. This is true when buying chisels, for example, or allen (hex) keys. Socket and spanner sets can fall into this category, too, but you usually purchase a whole set when you don't have any and you're about to embark on a project that will need a few common sizes (such as on a car).

Answer: More Support for Kits

If you are not the type to take on large projects and simply need some tools to complete small simple tasks around the house, a small tool kit is probably the best way to go. A basic tool kit should include (but not be limited to):

Buying a kit that includes all of these tools usually has the benefit of coming with a nice carrying case to keep the tools organized. If you decide to buy the tools separately and create your own "kit" don't forget to pick up some type of tool pouch or case.

If you are a more advanced "handyman", you may want to start with a basic kit then add tools as the budget allows or as projects require it.

Advertisement

As others have stated, not all tools are created equal. When shopping for tools make sure to do a little research and don't just buy the lowest priced tool.

Think you know whether a kit or individual tools is the way to go? Upvote an answer, submit your own at Stack Exchange, or leave it in the comments here. Stack Exchange is a place to trade expert knowledge on diverse topics from software programming to cycling to scientific skepticism... and plenty in between.